On Tuesday, London’s Court of Appeal ruled that Apple Inc. had infringed two telecommunications patents used in devices such as iPhones and iPads. The court dismissed Apple’s appeal in a long-standing dispute with Optis Cellular Technology LLC, a U.S. patent holder.
The legal battle began in 2019 when Optis sued Apple for its use of patents that Optis claimed was essential to specific technological standards, including 4G. Last year, London’s High Court determined that two of Optis’ 4G patents were standard essential patents and that Apple had indeed infringed them.
In May, Apple appealed against the High Court’s decision, arguing that the two patents in question were not essential to 4G standards and that it had not infringed upon them. However, the Court of Appeals rejected Apple’s challenge. Judge Colin Birss, in a written ruling, stated that the High Court was correct in rejecting Apple’s argument for non-infringement and in determining the essential nature of the patents.
Both Apple and Optis have yet to respond to requests for comments regarding the ruling.
This recent ruling adds to the ongoing legal battle between Apple and Optis, which began in 2019 and has involved six separate trials and multiple appellate hearings in Britain alone. Last month, the Court of Appeal upheld Optis’ appeal against the revocation of two other 4G-related patents. In October, it was ruled that Optis is entitled to an injunction to prevent Apple from infringing its patents until a court decides on the fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms of use.
Earlier this year, Apple was granted permission to appeal against the October ruling.
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